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A Closer Look at Winter Damage

But first, take a look at this gorgeous rainbow that we had on Friday! The five-day stretch of warm temperatures last week really jump-started the garden. Now that plants are putting out new growth, it is easier to see what kind of damage the winter left. Back in mid-January, we experienced five straight days of below-freezing temperatures. This caused much damage in Portland and areas where frigid winds were a factor. Here, we were fortunate to not get the wind and the cold temperatures were dampened by a blanket of snow. That said, it was a tough time for the garden and there are noticeable casualties but no outright deaths that I have seen. The bottlebrush ( Callistemon 'Woodlander's Red') did not like the cold at all. It was planted six years ago, in the north-facing garden no less, and I've not experienced die-back on it until now. A local expert said to cut it all the way back so that is what I did. If it doesn't make it, I won't be too distraught. It is

April bloom day

I think this is my favorite time in the garden. I love seeing the fresh new leaves on the plants and the buds and blooms forming. We've had very warm weather lately with the exception of yesterday when it didn't get out of the 50s. This morning it was still cold and overcast and my fingers were freezing as I was taking these photos.

Clematis 'Josephine'



Clematis 'Elsa Spath'



This nodding beauty is "Mrs. B.R. Cant"



Honeysuckle "Alabama Crimson"


Fleece Flower (Persicaria microcephala 'Red Dragon') and Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)

Deutzia gracilis




Camassia quamash




I think this azalea is "Martha Hitchcock" but I'm not certain


Climbing Raspberry (Rubus rosifolius 'Coronarius')


A close-up of the blooms - I think they look like old roses.



Carol at May Dreams Gardens invites bloggers to share their blooms on the 15th of each month. Hop on over to her blog to see what is blooming in other gardens.

Comments

  1. 'Josephine' is a stunning clematis! You have so many blooms and color right now. Very impressive!

    Cameron

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  2. This one's easy! I love the Clematis, can't wait for mine. Your garden is beautiful- I wish I could get mine to look like that :) Happy GBBD to you.

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  3. Josephine lives up to royal namesake

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  4. Phillip...Your photos are spectacular and the blooms in your garden are impressive! I love Lady Banks rose...If I had the right spot for her, right soil, right amount of sunshine! Waoit a minute...that would be your garden! Happy GBBD! gail

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  5. My gosh! Those shrubs are huge! How lovely to have all those established foundation plants!

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  6. My husband, son and grandson are all named Phillip. Love the name. How nice of your cute kitty cat to pose with the Chinese Snowball. You have a lovely "bloom day" going on in your yard. Josephine is especially appealing to me and also the Wild Columbine and that big round Tree Peony bud. Actually, I enjoyed every single photo in your post.

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  7. Oh, I feel a major case of zone envy coming on.... lovely photos!

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  8. Your garden becomes so indescribably spectacular in the spring...It's like visiting at a fairy-tale world drenched in flowers.

    You must have to duck under the Rosa Banksiae crossing the threshold; I love that!

    And look what happens to an unpruned Loropetalum! Amazing! I had no idea. I don't think they do that in California.

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  9. That 'Alabama Crimson' honeysuckle is amazingly red. I love it. And I'm interested to see what you're training the climbing raspberry up. Is it simply a cedar post with wire around it?

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  10. Thanks everybody! Pam, yes that is just a cedar post with wire around it.

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  11. Gosh Phillip your garden is just gorgeous right now. No wonder it is one of your favorite times of the year. The Lady looks lovely as she sets forth her first blooms. What a delight it must be to stroll beneath her branches.

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  12. Oh this was worth the wait!;-)Beautiful, beautiful blooms! I saw Chester hamming it up. LOL

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  13. You are so lucky to have the space to let everything get so large! I love them all! I'm putting 'Josephine' on my list, I'm going to a nursery tomorrow to look for that one. My 'Nelly Moser' never does very well. It's about 1/4 the size of the others now.

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  14. Hi Phillip, what fantasmagoria in your garden! We have many of the same plants, I am so excited to see Fortune's Double yellow in bloom for you. We ordered it last year to grow on the new arbor, it has grown very fast and has many buds. I do think Josephine is one of the finest Clemmies too. I have Elsa Spath, but she is much more blue. Is it just the photo that makes it like that? Speaking of photos, yours are absolutely fabulous! As is your entire garden.
    Frances

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  15. Frances, you are right. 'Elsa Spath' is much bluer than that. It is the camera!

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  16. Wow, that is an impressive group of blooming flowers. All so beautiful and also really nice photography.

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  17. I can see why it is your favorite time in the garden. Your clematis are scrumptious. How funny – I was just thinking how warm it is in Maine because it’s getting up to the 50’s! I can't wait for my clematis to bloom.

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  18. Philip, your garden is stunning and your photos, outstanding, especially loving your clematis portraits! Isn't this time of year glorious?

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  19. I can see why you love this month. The cat looks serene in the garden as cats do. Great shots, Phillip. I like to see the overall garden and it is sometimes difficult to capture. You have done it!

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  20. Beautiful Bloom Day post. Josephine is simply stunning. Great shot.

    You have a rose I have long coveted: Fortune's Double Yellow. How does it do for you? I always drool over the picture in the ARE catalog.

    Mrs. BR Cant is looking as lovely as ever.

    I'll have to look for the 'Stairway to Heaven' Jacob's Ladder. I haven't seen that one.

    Happy GBBD!

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  21. My 'Josephine' has soooo far to go to catch up to yours.

    The Loropetalum--OMGosh! Stunning! If only I could get mine to grow to a fraction of that size. Well, something to aspire to I guess.

    I have the white flowered Banksia rose. It has buds. Love it. Love all your photos.

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  22. The very first photo looks heavenly, Phillip. "Clair Matin" is yet another star! No doubt you go crazy when you stand there in your garden. SO many colors around. I love your bird house photo.

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  23. Fantastic post! First time I've ever seen or heard of a climbing raspberry with rose like blooms. That's very interesting. Love your clematis. Wonderful structure you have Lady Banks growing on.
    Marnie

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  24. Beautiful! I'll take that lorapetalum as a warning ;->

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  25. So many wonderful blooms, and there's Chester!! I also like the pale, yellowy green of new leaves, though my favorite season, in and out of the garden, remains fall.

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  26. By the time the last photo scrolled up I was almost collapsed in my chair, Phillip. Your garden is so lovely the viewer forgets to breathe. Not just the roses, but the way you've allowed classic shrubs like Deutzia, Spiraea, Viburnum, Kolkwitzia and Loropetalum to grow into long graceful wands. My loropetalum is much smaller, but also unpruned. I'm so weary of seeing them turned into pathetic cubes in Austin.

    "Josephine' is gorgeous...hope the bloom period will overlap with the tree peony so you can see both of them at once.

    Happy Blooming Day!

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

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  27. I don't know how long you have been gardening at this home, but your pictures make it look like it has been gardened for generations. Very old South.

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  28. I'm sorry about your pruning learning experience. I decided to try something new with my Type II Clematis, not pruning at all some of the shoots, pruning others part-way down, and then pruning some canes all the way to the ground. It should be interesting.
    Your garden looks lovely right now, with the Roses brimming with blooms and the big, bold Clematises, kind of like June or July around here.

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  29. Your garden looks so amazing. I can see why you love it. Have you seen a lorapedalum trimmed in to a tree? I did that once.

    You have some really pretty arbors and vine post. It's all just great.

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  30. So many interesting and different things blooming. Like that first clematis - wow, I've never seen one like that. And that climbing raspberry - definitely like a rose. Very cool.

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  31. Your garden is lovely. I think my columbine and camassia will both bloom in June.

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  32. Wonderful photographs!! Your garden is beautiful. Your Nelly Moser will probably bloom later in the season. I have several type 2 Clematis that have accidentally been pruned at the wrong time. Even if no buds appear this year console yoursef with the thought that your plant is getting stronger and will bloom better next year!!! (works for me!)

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